Faizah elegantly draped in ‘Love To Dress’ near the Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. If you remember I posted a snap I snagged of Wak Doyok in this same locations some months ago during a visit to Malaysia. Great spot for photos!

Please tell us about your travels to Far East Asia. What was your favourite place to visit there?

My trip to Southeast Asia was a very hectic and strenuous trip. Covering Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia in less than a month was one of the craziest experiences I’ve ever had. I remember having to cancel my bus ride into Singapore the night before and take a plane there because they were going to use a complicated baggage scanner that would ruin my film when I went through immigration at the bus station.

It was a lot for an 18 year old who was used to photographing trees in state parks. Regardless, I would have done it again in a heartbeat. I think my favorite place to visit was Malaysia because I had more opportunities to explore the mountains and the nature that encompasses Malaysia, whereas I was mostly stuck in the city in Thailand and Singapore.

I have been pretty productive off late despite the maddening work schedules, the lack of sleep and leisure times, I managed to squeeze in a short trip away from the tiny Red Dot.

While the rest of you wallow and nursing your Monday blues, I woke up to the magnificent chill air, relaxed and ready to jumpstart my day. I can’t exactly remember when was the last time I was at Genting Highlands, maybe more than 10 years ago. I remember going there as a kid and I remember that the theme park vividly as a magical place. So, yes, I can’t wait to conquer every ride there is in the theme park…..well……until I found out that the entire theme park had been torn down! Imagine the horror that awaits me! Nonetheless, the view of the mountain is still magnificent.

Where the theme park used to stand. If it’s still standing, it’s directly outside my hotel room. What a waste.

Anyhow, these views totally made up for the sinking feeling I felt when i first found out that the theme park is gone for awhile.

What else is there to do if theme park is out. Casino is the next best option. Most people would tell you, Casino should be the primary reason why you made an 8-hr journey from the tiny Red Dot, but not for me. I can count the number of times I had set foot in a Casino. The prospect of walking around watching people aimlessly sitting by the betting table hoping for their next big win is not something that I look forward to. I could never understand the thrill these betters feel when their numbers are called and their triumphant feeling of victory.

If you haven’t been to any of the casinos in Genting, I suggest you stay away, unless of course your past time is to soak up the second hand smokes and give your lungs some exercise to check if they are in fact working and helping your breathe better after.

Not only are the casinos smelt, these betters are too. I was told some actually stayed there for 7 days/nights straight without leaving their seats or showered or have meals. Everyone told the same story, once they had their windfall, they would leave for good. None did! Why am I not surprised.

Anyhow, in the midst of gloom and smog, look what I found, this actually thrilled me. Okay, I am a little different if you can tell by now.

'BTS apologizes with cookies for late appearance at press conference in Malaysia'

BTS were praised by the Malaysian media when the group appeared late at the press conference for their concert in Kuala Lumpur.

The seven boys are currently visiting Malaysia for their Episode II: The Red Bullet world tour concert stop. Brought to Malaysian fans by concert organizer IME Productions, the concert itself will be held today (June 6th) at 6PM local time, but BTS greeted their fans during the Hello fanmeet session and the press the day before.

The Hello session with fans was scheduled to start at 6.30PM, while the media session at 8PM. Due to the tight schedule, BTS was not able to make it in time for the second schedule. The press conference started around an hour late, at 9PM, and lasted for about 30 minutes.

The press who were present were impressed by their manners as leader Rap Monster also relayed his apologies in English on behalf of the team. “Thank you so much for welcoming us, we love everything in Malaysia. We practiced so hard for this concert, please come see us tomorrow. Sorry for this late delay and thank you coming here again. Thank you so much, we are BTS.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a luncheon hosted by the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, where the Duke made a 6-minute speech.

“Catherine and I are delighted to be here on what is our first visit to Malaysia. We are particularly pleased that our visit is specifically to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen. ‬‪Her dedication has been extraordinary to all her Realms; and to the Commonwealth of which Malaysia is such an important and influential member. My Grandmother told me that Malaysia would provide us with some wonderful experiences and unforgettable memories. And so indeed it has proved. ‬‪Over these three days here in Kuala Lumpur and in Sabah, we are getting to learn more of the different cultures that make up this great nation and seeing for ourselves something of the fabulous natural heritage of this land. We would like to thank the Malaysian people for giving us this marvellous opportunity.‬‪The Queen has asked me to convey to the Malaysian people her deepest good wishes in this, her Diamond Jubilee Year. Thank you for this lunch, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for welcoming us to Malaysia.‬‪‬‪..”

As a child, I couldn’t grasp that Singapore and Malaysia are two
different places because visiting family in Singapore meant visiting
family in Malaysia, and it didn’t take long to get from one place to the
other. While I did eventually arrive at the revelation that the two
regions are not, in fact, one and the same, I hold both countries close
to my heart and am out to discover and relate to an impressive catalog
of books from my familial chunk of South Asia.

I confess, until Zen Cho came along I’d never read a book by a
Singaporean or Malaysian writer. So here I go. While this list by no
means captures every writer in that country and that city-state, I tried
to find books that span a range of genres–enough to get us started.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Hospis Malaysia, which offers professional palliative care to patients suffering from life-limiting conditions. They met with patients, staff and family. Kate met a young boy called Zakwan, who suffered from leukemia and had postponed treatment to meet her. She signed his birthday card and told him he was “very, very handsome” and “very brave.” More about that here. Kate also made her first speech on foreign soil.

Around the World Wednesday: The submarine tender USS Frank Cable departs Sepangar Harbor after a port visit in Malaysia. Sailors assigned to the USS Frank Cable participated in several community service projects and various military-to-military interactions with the Royal Malaysian Navy.

(news) 31/7/2014 JYJ’s “Just Us” is a big hit and tops song charts in South Korea

C-Jes Entertainment announced JYJ’s latest album “Just Us” that was officially released on July 29, has sold more than 120 thousand copies.

Fans did not hesitate to order the album that comprises 13 songs, so they would not miss it. This is the band’s second album following their first release of “In Heaven” album three years ago.

Moreover, the album’s lead song, “Back Seat”, also successfully went first on South Korean song charts, including Naver Music, MelOn, Daum, Mnet, soribada, Bugs, Genie, Olleh, and Cyworld Music.

Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu are scheduled to hold their upcoming concert “The Return of The King” on August 9 at Jamsil Sports Complex, Seoul. They are also set to visit Hongkong, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand for the concert.